In Gansu

2. Lanzhou

Lanzhou cuisines are the representative achievement of Gansu cuisines, which feature the roasting, steaming and braising of beef and mutton.

A. Lanzhou Hand-pulled Beef Noodles

Lanzhou Hand-pulled Beef Noodles, also well-known as Lanzhou Lamian, is the most popular local dish. Nowadays, this kind of noodles can be found in almost every China city, big or small. The cooks are from Lanzhou. The nice quality noodles are in feature of clear but sweet soup, white radish, red pepper oil, green garlic sprout and coriander and bright yellow noodles.

B. Hui Dou Zi

It is a kind sweet desert among Lanzhou cuisine, which made from local gray peas with red dates. When mash red dates' juicy into gruel, you can smell a strong fragrant. Then add some sugar, the gruel will be more delicious.

C. Gaosan Jiangrou

Gaosan Jiangrou is a special version of meat braised with soy sauce. The meat is carefully chosen and usually consists of a mix of pork skin, fat and lean meat. Roast the meat until red and yellow and then cut into strips and tied up together and add cassia, pepper and cloves into it. The meat becomes soft and savory after the cooking process and is worth all of the effort.

3. Dunhuang

Due to location in western China and bordering Xinjiang, Dunhuang cuisines are influenced much by the Xinjiang cuisines. Grilled Mutton is the most popular dish in both restaurants and hotels of Dunhuang city.

A. Camel Hoof on Silk Road

Camel Hoof is actually tendon and is highly nutritious. But you are hard to find it and it is almost as precious as bear palm, as camel's long life span.

To prepare the hoof, clean and marinate it in water until soft, then flavor with some seasoning and then steam it together with a chicken for 7 or 8 hours till the bones can be easily removed. Use egg white to make the jokul, put them together and make a shape of camel hoof on Jokul.

B. Stir-fried Hump with Five Shredding

This dish, featured in fat and soft meat, is a favorite of high-ranking imperial concubine Yang Yuhuan of the Tang Dynasty. The primary ingredient is Camel hump, accompanied with five shredding consists of leek shoots, Yulan ( dry bamboo shoot ), Dongru ( mushroom ), ham and chicken breast.

In Xinjiang

Xinjiang region is traditionally home to ethnic Muslim peoples like the Uighur, so there is no pork or carnivorous animals on the menu. Xinjiang is a region with lots of pasture, so sheep on top of the menu. In addition, fruit or dried fruit is also famous.

A. Xinjiang Kebabs

Xinjiang Kebabs are chunks of mutton thread on skewers and roasted over charcoal. They are not greasy and have no unpleasant smell. When they are roasted, salt, pepper paprika and cumin are sprinkled on them. They are sold in the streets and bazaars throughout Xinjiang.

The attractive this is that the cooks are performing Xinjiang dances with Xinjiang music when he is roast the mutton.

B. Urumqi Dapan Ji

Dapan Ji, literally "Big Plate of Chicken" is a famous Hui dish. You can head to Kochisi ( near the large mosque across from the north end of Yan'an road ) where you will find Qosh Amet. Simply look for the large English sign that reads "Chichen Food" which is Dapan Ji.

C. Xinjiang Grilled Fish

Grilled fish is the classical flavor of Kashgar snacks, especially the most famous in Bachu County. The roast fishes are good materials to make a tender and not fishy, crispy and delicious, distinctive dish. The traditional Uygur way to grill fishes is to pierce fishes and put in a circle around a fire, which always attract many tourists.

D. Zhua Fan

Zhua Fan, literarily "Rice Eaten with Hands", is cooked with ingredients from fresh mutton, carrot, vegetable oil and rice. This rice is soft, delicious and nutritious. It is cooked at the festivals, funerals and weddings of Uyghur and Uzbek.

Xinjiang & Gansu Local Fruits

In summer and autumn seasons, Xinjiang and Gansu produce a variety of fruits and melon. Especially the melons are as much as 50 species and Hami melon is the typical one.

In Turpan, there is a Grape Valley, which is well-known for its grapes and dried raisins. Other fruits are grown there, such as grapes, melons, peach, apricot, pear, etc. And all these fruits are exceptionally a lot sweeter than those produced in other places in China.